


The Crank of Monte Cristo

by EtchCantrellorLightningHeterodyne



Category: Sharp Zero (Webcomic)
Genre: Alex is insanely stupid, I am so fucking sorry for that title, I needed a Danglars and Ace would have been a shitty Mercedes, Marcus is evil, Multi, emotionally abusive relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 17:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15369228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtchCantrellorLightningHeterodyne/pseuds/EtchCantrellorLightningHeterodyne
Summary: The Count of Monte Cristo AU this fandom deserves. I regret very little. Not actually written according to the script of any version of the play. Somewhat OOC because different time period, Marcus is an asshole, Alex is an idiot (like naive damsel style idiot) for a while there, there’s no historical accuracy and it’s basically ‘I’m gonna write in a different time period but I’m gonna set the rule book for it on fire and throw it out the window because creative liberties’.Ace and Alex have been in love for years, and when Ace proposes, the two are over the moon. But what are they to do when Elliot’s brother decides Ace is a bad influence, and must be removed from Elliot’s life? When Feithon, the stalwart angel companion of the new couple, decides it’s time to act on his desires towards Alex? When Ceaser, a mad scientist testing the Sharp Zero drug on prisoners, needs more test subjects… and someone to take the fall for the bodies of the previous ones?Ace, framed for murder, is sentenced to life in prison, and though he and Alex know he’s innocent, it’s going to be quite a while before they come back together.





	1. Engagement Rings and Evil Things

Chapter 1: Engagement Rings and Evil Things

 

Alex hummed, putting on the coat he reserved for Redshift’s formal appearances…

...and the days when Ace visited. The green-haired singer was becoming rather popular, and the Diamond Dogs company was taking off well enough that Alex’s adopted father had agreed to let him and Ace marry if they wished.

The brunette wandered downstairs, eating breakfast with Feithon, the angel who had become a great friend to Alex and Ace both, and then meandering to the sitting room he always met his lover in. Ace wasn’t going to arrive for another few minutes, so Alex wandered around the room he’d come to consider theirs, brushing his fingers over photographs and the stacks of letters and poems they’d written each other. 

A list of the heroes of Ellevirre came into view, and Alex winced when he saw ‘Redshift’, in Ace’s surprisingly bad cursive, at the top. 

_ One day I’ll tell him I’m Redshift, and then he’ll grin and kiss me and say “My hero.” _

_ One day. Though he will worry, since he can’t come with me. He doesn’t have any powers. _

A maid entered the room, bowing to Alex.

“Ace has arrived.”

She left, and true to her word, Alex’s favorite person walked into the room. Ace was grinning  like a fool, which wasn’t abnormal for him, and he spread his arms.

Alex hugged him, and Ace planted a kiss on his cheek when he pulled away.

“Morning, baby.”

“Good morning, Ace, though it’s nearly noon.”

Ace’s smile widened, and he walked to the center of the room.

“So, Alexander Beckett, firstborn child of the Beckett family and their fortune-”

_ And the Shift family, though father left his fortune to the intern who became his best friend and eventually his boss. Heh. The first thing he said to me was “Please tell me this one has no powers and will just be a very nice and generous sponsor.” He groaned when father said no, and spent the rest of they day bemoaning his position because “Now there’s two of them.”…what was his name?  _

_ Eli. Yes, Eli. The Redshift fortune went to Eli, the Beckett fortune will go to me in two months when I turn eighteen. Hopefully Danny will actually spend his part on college rather than Elliot. _

“-who for some reason decided to let the handsomest scoundrel and best singer in Ellevirre court him, as opposed to the extremely wealthy old men people seem  _ so _ fond of these days, who knows I love him to the edge of the world and back, who has been there for me as often as I have been there for him- which is to say, we’ve been there for each other for everything except family dinners, because your parents scare me and my parents are dead. Alex, who I love and adore, who’s smile makes me think ‘dammit, the sun is in my eyes’, who is the most kind, gentle-”

“Laying it on a little thickly there, but continue singing my praises,” Alex commented, settling into one of the chairs while Ace walked around the room.

“-loving, caring, generous, handsome, wonderful, amazing, cuddly-”

“Okay,  _ now _ you’re just pulling adjectives out of a hat.”

“You know you could’ve said ‘out of your ass’ there’s nobody to scold you here.”

“I was born and raised in high society, and as a result I do not swear.”

“Not even for me?”

“No.”

“Not even once?”

“No.”

Ace gave a dramatic sigh, throwing an arm across his forehead and doing his best imitation of a stereotypical heartbroken damsel.

“Fine, then! I guess all my planning was for naught!”

“What planning, you arrived an hour late and you’re wearing the same thing you wear almost every time you visit. Adding a jacket doesn’t count,” Alex said.

“All my time, and effort! Wasted on the ungrateful!”

“I can’t exactly be ungrateful if I have no idea what you planned.”

Ace dropped his arms, and his stupid grin came back, the one that he was wearing the first time Alex saw him, when he and Danny snuck out of the house to go see Elliot perform, the grin that had Alex falling instantly.

“True. I guess I’ll just have to reveal my secret.”

Alex’s beloved scoundrel reached into his pocket, pulling out a small bag, and tucking whatever was in it into his left hand.

He dropped to one knee in a perfectly fluid motion, and held his left palm out, upon which sat a plain gold ring, with a single perfect ruby set into it.

“Alexander Beckett, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”

Alex thought he might die.

“I- how- you- yes. Yes! Oh my god, yes!”

And then Ace had wrapped his arms around his waist, spinning Alex around in the air and stepping back when he set Alex down.

Ace took his left hand, sliding the band onto his finger.

It fit perfectly.

Alex wasn’t quite sure who started the kiss, and he couldn’t care less.

Ace had asked him to marry him.

Ace had propsed, and Alex had finally gotten the chance to give his answer to a question he thought Ace would never ask.

When he told Danny the news, his little brother was ecstatic, pulling Alex into a bear hug that lasted five minutes. When Alex asked Danny to be his best man, the redhead actually shrieked.

Alex jokingly wished he’d written a note; it would have spared his eardrums.

 

When Ace told Elliot who he was marrying, it took half an hour to shut him up. When he asked Elliot to be his best man, there was no shutting him up, so Ace just resigned himself to slowly destroying his hearing by hanging around his best friend for the rest of that day.

 

When Elliot casually mentioned it to Marcus the next morning, Marcus glowered when his little brother left. When Alex told Feithon, the angel’s wings fluttered, and when Alex left, the blond wrote a letter to a certian scientist, who was developing a drug called Sharp Zero, that gave the average human powers, though too much of it killed you.

He then wrote to Marcus, and the day after that, Marcus Hong, the mad scientist known only as Ceaser, and Feithon, angel of dawn, walked into A Story Told Inn and Tavern.

Feithon sat betweeen Marcus and Ceaser, a small smile on his lips. 

“It has come to my attention that the three of us could work out an extremely beneficial arrangement.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow, and Ceaser leaned back.

“You see, it has come to my attention that Alexander and Ace have become engaged. Elliot and Danny will not be far behind. Last I checked, Marcus, you were trying to get Elliot  _ away _ from Ace’s bad influence. If Ace remains engaged to Alex, Elliot and Ace will not only share a company, but a house. If Alex marries Ace, my befriending them will be for nothing, and I lose the love of my life.”

“It would be rather counterproductive for me to allow Elliot to move in with Ace, but if that is all, why is he here?” Marcus asked, genturing at Ceaser.

“Because Ceaser has been forced to test Sharp Zero on prisoners and lowlifes, but the government can’t exactly condone the corpses of the unlucky ones, and what better way to ensure Ace remains out of their lives than to frame him for those corpses?”

Marcus raised an eyebrow, and Ceaser leaned forward, steepling his fingers.

“You want to frame Ace for five murders?”

“Is there a better way to ensure his removal from the lives of Alex and Elliot?”

“To give him life in prison?”

“However long that life will last, since I do need more test subjects like him- young, fit.”

Ceaser’s metallic voice slid across the table, and Feithon nodded.

“Exactly. That way they have no way to prove Ace innocent- not if he’s killed in a  _ tragic _ accident.”

Marcus’ stony expression bore a split second of conflict, before he nodded.

“Ace is a scoundrel. I have no desire for Elliot to become one as well.”

“He’s a lowlife who did nothing to deserve Alex.”

“And he’s perfect for my experiments.”

Feithon smiled at Marcus, stretching his hands out to the other two men at the table.

“Then it is agreed? Ace killed a few people for a few petty reasons, and in Ellevirre’s great mercy, he lives a life in prison.”

Marcus nodded gravely, taking Faithon’s hand and reaching his other one to Ceaser.

“What’s the price of one lowlife so that Elliot and I can reach the highest peaks of society?”

Ceaser took the hands offered to him, nodding once.

“History is a story told by the winners.”

“And who will question what a scoundrel does in the middle of the night?” Marcus said.

“Not Alex, and not a jailer.”

The three shook hands.

“Then it’s agreed. Ace rots for his crimes,” Feithon said.

“What’s the cost of one young man so three more young men can soar?” Ceaser asked, shrugging. “Feithon will marry Alex, and you and Elliot will live the high life.”

“Ace will stay and end his days in Ellevirre’s jail,” Marcus added, wearing a cruel grin to match Feithon’s.

Three men left A Story Told that afternoon, plotting the one-way journey of the young man who would have become the best singer in Ellevirre, had his supposed friend given him that option.


	2. I'll Be There, I Swear, I Swear

Ace was arrested for murder. Alex, Danny, and Elliot were a little alarmed, but, sure he would be found innocent, and knowing Ace did no such thing, they awaited the trial.

The day after Ace was thrown in prison, Feithon proposed to Alex.

Alex declined.

Elliot liquified the Diamond Dogs company, unable to continue it without his oldest friend. Danny was forced to move to Paris to complete his college education, and thus forced to leave Alex with Feithon.

Every day, Feithon proposed. Every day, Alex declined, sure that Ace would return to him.

Ace sat in Ellevirre’s prison, on the shores of England. Every day rolled by like the last, every night was spent alone until the sun rose once more.

The tallies on the wall added up- a week (a week without Alex, a week of wondering how he was holding up). A month (a month without Elliot, a month of musing on whether or not he’d liquifed the Diamond Dogs yet). A year (a year of wondering if Alex still wore the ring. A year of wondering if Danny had left for college, if Elliot had finally proposed). A year and a half (a year and a half of wondering if Alex still smiled, if Elliot still sang). Two years (Ace knew that by now, he’d missed Danny’s departure for Paris, that Elliot had liquified the company, that Alex still held onto hope with all the stubborness that got Ace to fall in love with him in the first place).

At two and a half years, everything changed.

 

Alex wandered down to the end of the hallway, where the only two doors were the ones that led to the balcony and the one that led to the sitting room where Ace proposed.

Two and a half years, the love of his life had spent, stuck in prison for something Alex knew he didn’t do.

Feithon’s steps sounded behind him- funny, what you learn about the only other person in the house. 

“Again?” Alex asked, stepping onto the balcony, looking at Ellevirre’s sprawling cityscape. “You know I’m never going to say yes, right?”

Feithon’s steps stopped a few feet behind Alex.

Perhaps the angel was thinking of another excuse as to why he wouldn’t leave Alex alone.

“Alexander… love…”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I- I heard this morning, I wish I could make it untrue-”

_ What?  _

_ He actually sounds… grieved. _

_ What happened? _

Feithon inhaled shakily, and Alex turned around.

He really did look pained.

“There was an uprising, last night, on the Tievell cliffs.”

_ Tievell cliffs. _

_ That’s where the prison is. _

_ Oh no. _

_ Oh no. _

_ No, nonono. Not him. Anyone,  _ everyone _ , but him. _

“Ace didn’t make it. He tried to bolt, and a guard shot him through the heart.”

_ No. _

_ No. _

_ He’s not dead. He can’t be dead. _

The ring seemed to grow heavier, on the chain around Alex’s neck. He’d kept it there ever since Ace got locked away- right above his heart.

“No,” he whispered.

It sounded broken even to his ears.

Feithon’s blue eyes were filled with pure sorrow, and he reached out his arms.

Alex, for once, didn’t think. He lunged into the offered hug, and Feithon’s wings wrapped around him shortly after his arms did.

_ No. _

_ No. _

_ Not… not him. I- we- I can’t. _

_ I wish it had been anyone else. I wish it had been every other person there, just not him. _

_ I never even got the chance to tell him I’m Redshift. _

_ And now I never will, will I? _

_ There’s nothing left. _

_ But- Maybe- maybe if I say yes to Feithon, the void he filled won’t be quite so empty. _

_ What do I have to lose? _

“Alexander… my offer still stands.”

“...yes.”

Alex didn’t see Feithon’s grin, didn’t notice that through all the whispered comforts and useless apologies, the angel didn’t regret a thing.

 

Ace opened his eyes, wincing at the sunlight filtering through his window. He’d somehow managed to keep his mohawk intact, though the green had faded back to the dark chocolate his hair had been before he dyed it.

He grabbed the bit of chalk from under his pillow, making another tally on the wall.

Another day.

Another death.

Nothing changed, nothing happened.

Ace sighed, closing his eyes.

_ I wonder if Alex still wears the ring, or if it got too painful to look at. _

_ I wouldn’t blame him for locking it away. _

Footsteps.

Footsteps, heavy ones, different from the guards.

Ace’s eyes snapped open when they stopped outside his cell.

“Ceaser said to grab this one.”

_ What- _

Something rattled -presumably a key ring- and the lock on his cell clicked.

The door swung open, revealing two heavily built men, the kind who looked like they could pick you up and snap you in half.

One of them tromped over to Ace’s cot, and the last thing he saw was a fist aimed at his face.

 

Ace opened his eyes for the second time that day, though this time he’s tied to a chair.

_ That should probably worry me… period, but at this point any change of scenery is a good one. _

“Ace. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

The voice behind him sounded metallic, and Ace almost laughed.

_ Two and a half years, and Ceaser, the boogeyman of Ellevirre’s jail, gets me now? _

Any amusement vanished when he actually remembered what the implications of that were.

_ I’m going to die. _

_ I’m going to die before I ever see Alex again. _

“The bodies- you framed me for those.”

_ The reason I got locked in hell for two and a half years, was you. _

“Not quite. You see, Feithon suggested it, and Marcus agreed- apparently you’re a terrible influence on people.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“The most effective way to use Sharp Zero is to tattoo it onto whoever you are trying to awaken powers in. After a few months, the tattoos fade, though the powers last forever. This is what I have discovered so far. Unfortunately, it puts quite a lot of stress on the subject- I’ve only ever had one survive.”

“So, what, I get to learn all about your evil plans because you’re gonna kill me?”

“Because I think you should know what happened, before you die. I do have some honor, you know,” Ceaser said. The metal man got up, rummaging around the tray of tools he’d set a few feet in front of Ace.

_ Somebody took my shirt. _

_ And? _

_ You realize odd things when you’re about to die. _

“If you had honor I wouldn’t be tied to a chair and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Fair enough. Although the bindings aren’t to keep you from escaping-” Ceaser wheeled a pot of something that looked deceptively like ink- though Ace knew it to be the drug he was illegally testing. “-they’re there because your natural reaction to the procedure is to struggle.”

Ace had gotten tattoos before. They’d hurt. Whatever.

This was nothing like that.

Ceaser made the first indent, and Ace’s vision went white with pain.

He couldn’t be sure through the haze, but he was fairly certian that the screams that echoed off the walls for the rest of the day were his.

Eventually, Ceaser made his last indent, and Ace passed out.

_ Pray I never wake up. _


	3. Hallelujah, My Ass

“-seems to have taken to the drug very well. He should survive this.”

“Well, it’s not our job to care. It’s our job to toss him back in the cell, and leave. Come on.”

A door slammed, and a lock clicked.

Where was he?

Who was he?

_ I’m- Ace. Ace. I’m Ace, my best friend is Elliot, the love of my life is Alex, his little brother is Danny. _

_ I proposed. Alex said yes. I got thrown into prison. _

_ Two and a half years passed. _

_ Ceaser got me. _

For a brief second, Ace remembered what exactly happened that day, but he shoved the memory to the furthest points of his mind.

_ If I can’t ever remember it again it’ll be too soon. _

Ace opened his eyes, and almost screamed, had his hoarse throat not stopped him.

His cell was burning, completely consumed by green fire.

_ Oh well. _

_ Better than- wait. _

Ace sat up, and looked down.

He was on fire.

And he didn’t feel a thing- but that wasn’t the weird part.

The weird part was that it wasn’t burning him.

Green tendrils of flame flickered over his skin harmlessly, and when Ace stuck a hand into the flames next to his bed, they slid around his fingers… almost playfully.

Like they were welcoming him home.

Ace stood. He was… a  _ lot _ more muscled than he used to be, though that was one of the side effects of the tattoos, since Sharp Zero included a steriod element (Ceaser talked a lot during the procedure, and while Ace would muffle everything that happened, he’d keep what he learned).

The fire danced around and over him, and when he lifted his hand, it almost seemed… drawn to him.

Ace tilted his hand to the right. The flames went down, as though they burned less instensely (though Ace wasn’t sure they really burned at all), and to the right, like that was the way the wind was blowing them- despite the fact that the air in the prison was still.

He tilted his hand to the left, and the flames rose, flickering slightly in that direction, more like ‘that’s where all the smoke is going’ than ‘that’s the way the wind is blowing’.

Ace looked around. Almost the entire floor was covered in flames, as well as the cot, though said flames didn’t seem to be burning anything, nor did they seem anchored to anything, and they didn’t produce any smoke.

They were his. The drug had taken effect, and he was given power over this odd form of fire, that wasn’t anchored and didn’t burn.

_ I can’t ever go back now. _

_ Not with this, not with this power. Even if the tattoos fade, the power will stay with me, and I have no way to control it- even with training, the chances of it acting up are too high. _

_ It doesn’t hurt me, but what would it do to others? _

The days began to roll by again, though Ace got a bit of a shock the next morning. The standard daily bowl of water was given at the beginning of the morning, and when it stilled enough for Ace to get a reflection…

The tattoos weren’t too bad- nice needlework, and they were decent designs.

He could live with them for a few months.

The part he wasn’t as sure about was the fact that apparently the ‘massive amounts of stress’ Ceaser talked about had turned every root and every strand of his once-brown hair a pure, snowy white. With his hairstyle it didn’t look  _ bad _ , but…

The change was alarming.

Days became one week, two weeks, three weeks. Three weeks of learning enough rudimentary control over his flames so as not to blow another cot to pieces. Three weeks of white hair and weird tattoos, of waking up every morning and going to bed every night without whispering ‘Someday I’ll see Alex again’.

Three weeks of every fragile shard of hope, every piece of faith that had survived two and a half years without anyone, being crushed.

It was all for nothing. All his plans, all his daydreams about meeting Alex again- what he’d say, how he looked- it had all been for nothing.

Three weeks, Ace spent in his cell, before he suddenly no longer had one, since around noon on the second day of the fourth week, a large hole was blown into his floor.

Two people came out- one of them carrying the other. The person who was being carried looked like he might be rich, if the fine white cotton shirt was anything to go by.

The person doing the carrying…

They were dressed in some sort of… armor, though not any kind from England. For starters, it was green- and the helmet had a visor made of… was that  _ amber _ ?

_ What the hell? _

Ace backed into the corner, away from the green knight with prosthetic legs that had some sort of springs on the bottom, and the man he- she- they? Were carrying.

Also because the corner was all that was left of the floor.

“I  _ told  _ you we were going the wrong way, Eli!”

“Well I’m sorry for listening to the map,  _ Isaiah _ !”

_ So they’re a boy…? _

“Shut up,” Isaiah said.

“Make me!” Eli retorted.

Isaiah kissed him.

Huh.

“So, you two being all lovey dovey is great, but what the hell are you doing in my cell?”

The couple finally noticed that Ace was there, and turned to face him. Isaiah set Eli down, and Ace extinguished the fireball he’d been carrying.

Eli raised an eyebrow.

“Pyrokenesis, huh?”

“Not… really. I mean- the flames are  _ green _ , and from what I can tell they don’t need fuel, they don’t produce smoke, and they don’t burn things, they kind of… corrode them. A little like acid. And only if I want them to.”

“You have no idea how to control them, do you?” Isaiah asked. “I’m Isaiah, by the way, though you’ve probably only heard of me as Grasshopper.”

_ Holy shit. _

“Wait. You- You’re Grasshopper!? The samurai who got banished for being two-souled, who came to England, created the  _ coolest  _ pair of prosthetic legs on the  _ planet _ , and proceeded to become one of the very first heroes!? What the fuck are you doing in here!?”

“Trying to escape? I thought that was fairly obvious,” Isaiah replied dryly. “He and him for now, by the way.”

Eli, meanwhile, had walked up to Ace, and was now looking at him like he was evaluating his potential for modelling a statue.

“Sharp Zero scource powers, huh? I’m sorry- I hear it’s very painful.”

“It… is.”

“Oh,” Isaiah said. “That would explain it. Sharp Zero scourced supers always have a weird combination of weird powers, which makes you both very useful and very dangerous.”

_ Huh. _

_ That… explains a lot. _

“Where were you gonna go, after this?” Ace asked.

“The island of Monte Cristo. Redshift- I was the manager of the Vindicators, before the Supercide. He left the location of his fortune to me.”

“Oh- I’m… sorry. The Vindicators- England was sad to see them go.”

Eli sighed.

“Yeah, well. It’s been years. Listen- I’ll make you a deal. Help us get out, and in exchange, I can teach you how to control your powers. What kind of an education do you have?”

“Monestary reading and writing, learned how to read music from a retired pianist.”

“I’m guessing your handwriting sucks, then?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Help us escape, and I will give you a full education, in every subject, as well as teach you how to control your powers.”

“As tempting as it is, what would I do afterwards?”

Eli paused, taking a step back. The raven haired man opened his mouth, closed it again, and started pacing, muttering to himself.

Something about cottages?

“Alright. Since Isaiah and I will probably only need about half of it, you can take the other half, which will be enough for a small mansion, people to run it, and the founding of a trading company.”

“Jesus. I knew Redshift was rich, but I never thought he was  _ that _ rich.”

“Oh, he was. Come on. We’re starting with geography.”

Isaiah hopped Eli down into the tunnel, before he came back up to grab Ace.

_ I think this will be the start of a beautiful friendship. _


	4. Famous Last Words

Alex strode down the hallway, holding his head up for the first time in a month and a half. The brunet shoved the door to Feithon’s room open.

“What the hell!?”

The angel started, setting his quill down.

“What is it, love?”

“I’m not wearing a  _ wedding dress _ !”

Feithon… almost seemed to roll his eyes.

“It’s just for appearances, love. It’s a cover, we don’t want the church trying to crash our wedding.”

“But-”

The blond got up, walking over and pulling Alex into his arms.

“I know. It sucks. I’m sorry. I just- I thought that it’d be better than no wedding at all.”

Feithon sounded so  _ sad _ .

Alex sighed, hugging the angel back.

It was the best way to stop the church from coming down on them. Alex was… technichally… a girl.

“And we know it’s not real. It’ll be okay.”

Alex closed his eyes.

_ Ace would have never made you do that. _

_ Well, Ace is dead. And… why? Why did he try to run, when he was innocent? They would have found out! He would have been  _ fine _! _

_ Why? _

A pair of wings wrapped around him. At least he had  _ someone _ . Someone who wasn’t going to get himself killed.

 

Danny was running for his life, carrying his now-undead boyfriend’s unconcious body. Marcus had gone senile. To let  _ Ceaser _ \- of all people,  _ him _ test something on Elliot? 

It had been the luckiest of breaks that Danny managed to ressurect him.

Except that now they were both going to get killed again, because Alex was planning a wedding he wasn’t even going to enjoy and Feithon was off messing with the Becket’s trading company and Ace was in prison!

Whatever. It didn’t matter- all that mattered was getting out of here.

Danny stumbled down hallways, thanking a god he didn’t quite believe in that he’d kept up his training even after he quit as Blueshift. Otherwise, they’d both already  _ be _ dead.

_ Although that might all be for nothing in the next five minutes, _ Danny thought, just as an arrow whistled past an inch away from his head.

Left, Left, Right. When you turn right it will be through a door, this door takes you outside.

_ Thank god for bitter ex-villians. And the fact that Dispatch owed me a favor. _

He reached the first turn, running left, dragging Elliot behind him. Twenty feet- fifteen- ten- five-

Something buried itself in his leg.

Danny screamed, and stumbled, and kept running, because he couldn’t afford to stop.

He limp-ran around the next turn, hobbling as quickly as he could while supporting Elliot.

_ To hell with it. _

The redhead used his last dregs of strength to throw Elliot over his shoulder, stumbling towards the door. He just had to reach the door. It lead out to an alleyway behind a manor not too far from his own, and if he could reach the door, he could reach home, and if he could reach home, he could get Alex.

If.

Fourty feet.

Blood spatters littered the ground behind him.

Thirty.

The arrowhead twisted, tearing the flesh of his leg further.

Twenty.

Danny twisted the ankle of his injured leg.

Seventeen.

_ If I can reach the door... _

Thirteen.

Arrows started flying past him again.

Eleven.

One of them grazed his side, trailing red in its wake.

Eight.

Elliot groaned.

Five.

The Korean’s eyes opened, the same blood red they were when Danny ressurrected him.

Two.

Elliot swung himself off Danny’s shoulder, pulling the redhead’s right arm over his shoulder and slipping his left around Danny’s waist.

Zero.

The door slammed shut behind them.

“Where to?” Elliot rasped.

“Family manor.”

“Kay.”

 

Danny woke up the next morning to see his brother pacing around his room.

“Alex…”

Alex whipped around, at Danny’s side instantly.

“What happened!? Why is Elliot…”

“Midly demonic? He’s dead. I resurrected him, because Marcus, in his insanity, decided to let  _ Ceaser _ test things on his little brother.”

Alex reeled. Danny swung his legs over the side of the bed, getting up and getting dressed.

“Why are you wearing a dress?”

“Because the church won’t come down on us that way.”

“And you’re just… fine? With being misgendered throughout the entirety of  _ your _ wedding day?”

“A sucky wedding is better than no wedding. And it’s  _ our _ wedding day.”

“If Feithon cares so much about what the church thinks, why doesn’t he wear a dress?”

Alex paused, opening and closing his mouth a few times. Danny turned back to his dresser.

“Because… because…”

“Exactly, Alex. I’m  _ telling  _ you, he’s poison.”

“He’s an  _ angel _ !”

“And? I’m pretty sure we both remember Reapos.”

“He- he loves me.”

“As much as Ace did?”

The redhead’s first thought upon turning aorund to see Alex’s face was  _ that was the wrong thing to say. _

“Ace- Ace got himself killed. He  _ knew _ they’d find him innocent, he  _ knew _ he’d see me again, he  _ knew _ he’d be fine, and he just- one uprising, _ one _ uprising and he’s running off to get shot, and he- he left me. He  _ knew _ I wouldn’t stop until he was released, he  _ knew _ I’d love him till the end of time, and he  _ still _ just-”

Alex trailed off, shaking his head, blinking back tears.

Danny took a step towards him.

“Who told you that?”

“No. It doesn’t matter who told me. But at least someone did, when you wouldn’t. At least  _ someone _ told me he just hopped to his feet and ran, at least  _ SOMEONE  _ TOLD ME HE GOT HIMSELF KILLED FOR NOTHING!”

Alex stormed out of the room, scrubbing at the saltwater dripping down his cheeks.

Danny was left standing, about to tell his brother that he never told him Ace was dead because he’d never  _ heard _ that Ace was dead.

Eli was a good teacher. In the next week, Ace had learned to write neatly, sing well, speak eloquently, dance, eat, and even walk like nobility, was begginning to learn French, and could perfectly read a map, a star chart, and the stars themselves.

The week after that, he could hold a rudimentary conversation in French, was perfectly versed in ettiquite and chivalry, knew some basic Japanese, and knew the history of England.

In a few months- they could only blow a hole in their tunnel about once a week, since otherwise people got suspicious and investigated, Ace was a perfect, perfectly educated, gentleman- but more importantly, he had almost full control over his powers.

And in those few months, they’d almost made it out.

Currently, he, Eli, and Isaiah, sat in their little tunnel, warming their hands over Ace’s flames, eating stolen rations and drinking pilfered wine.

Tomorrow, they’d make the last blow, and they’d be free.

_ I can… Buy a mansion. Live luxuriously. _

_ I can move far, far away from- _

_ Nope. Not even thinking it. _

_ Maybe the Americas? _

Ace’s train of thought was broken by a few small pebbles falling on his shoulder. Almost absently, he brushed them off-

Before he remembered Eli’s lecture about cave systems, and exactly what falling rocks meant.

The singer’s head snapped up, staring at the other two, who looked just as alarmed as he felt. Nice to know he wasn’t alone in thinking they were about to die.

_ I survive Ceaser only to die in a cave in. _

Isaiah stood, hauling Eli upright with him. Ace put the fire out, and scrambled to his feet. The three started running towards the very back of their tunnel- the one that led to the unforgiving face of the Tievell Cliffs.

The stones falling from the ceiling grew larger. They ran faster.

Isaiah readied her blaster, and blew a hole in the side of the cliff face just as the tunnel collapsed.

Ace dove forward, onto the small pleatu Eli had drawn a map to.

The former singer turned back, coughing up dust, and felt the tears start rolling down his face as soon as he registered what just happened.

What was happening.

Ace scrambled over rocks to where Eli and Isaiah lay. The exiled samurai’s prosthetic legs were completely beyond repair. Eli’s right arm looked broken.

But that wasn’t the cause of Ace’s tears.

It was the lifeless brown eyes that stared out of Isaiah’s face, and the blood covering her broken neck.

He turned to Eli, who was staring at his lover’s corpse.

His breathing was ragged, and wet. The ravenhead coughed, and blood dripped down his chin.

Eli waved Ace closer.

“Take… the fortune. It’s on… on Mount Ouranous, buried in the… cave called the Throat of Seeing. On the island of Monte Cristo. Go. Make… make a life for yourself. Go back to Alex, go… go live. Go live happily. Remember- remember them, and the- the Vindicators. Remember what I taught you.”

Ace grabbed Eli’s left hand with his right, scrubbing at the tears on his cheeks with the other one.

“Remember who you are.”

The light left Eli’s eyes, to join the millions of stars above them.

Ace screamed. Rage, pain, grief, three years of hell came pouring out, cursing the stones he sat on and shaking the heavens he faced.

Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Ace stood.

He arranged Eli and Isaiah next to each other, and was about to climb down to the waves below, when he turned back.

The white-haired man walked back over to the first friends he’d had in three years, and twined their fingers together.

Ace climbed down to the ocean, and took one final, lasting look at the place he’d rotted in.

He set himself on fire, and jumped into the sea.


	5. Siren Song

Ace was content to float for a bit. The heat kept him afloat as well as warm, and he and… his friends, had discovered that he could hold the flames steady even when he wasn’t paying attention.

He should be able to drift long enough for someone to find him, at the very least.

The former singer closed his eyes.

He hadn’t actually stopped- he’d just lost the option of doing it publicly. Of course, there was no way in hell he was throwing his voice away- singing had kept him sane.

_ Wonder if someone’ll find me faster if I make some noise? _

Ace had always been very good at improvising. He’d improvised almost everything- with the exception of things that truly mattered- the shows at the more reputable spots, Alex’s ring (he’d never say it but he’d saved up for years until he could get the perfect one), instruments for his musical friends, so on. 

It had been a while since he’d improvised lyrics. 

Ace started singing.

_ “We sailed on wings of won-der, _

_ Thinking we would always fly, _

_ Never torn asun-der, _

_ Acting like we’d never die, _

_ Picking perfect stars from velvet vines, _

_ Drinking all our finest wines, _

_ Never even pausing to take a look, _

_ At what was at the end of the path we took, _

_ Dancing under desert skies, _

_ Drowning in their pretty lies, _

_ People say that stars are forever, _

_ But you and I we both know better, _

_ For even the sun must die one day, _

_ And then where will our future lay? _

_ Whispers carried through our shared dreams, _

_ That talked us through their loudest screams, _

_ People could jump and scream and shout, _

_ And we learned to tune them out, _

_ We danced along our golden line, _

_ Stepping towards the end of time, _

_ So caught up in how it looked, _

_ We never even saw the hook, _

_ Now we hang on twisted words, _

_ Two flightless useless broken birds, _

_ People say that stars are forever, _

_ But you and I we both know better,, _

_ For our sun died just yesterday, _

_ This was where our future lay, _

 

_ Broken bones in bloody wings, _

_ Shackles instead of perfect rings, _

_ Nights as cold as death itself, _

_ They weren’t when I had someone else, _

_ People say that love is forever, _

_ And I don’t think we’ll ever know better, _

_ You and I we both believed, _

_ That someday, far away,  _

_ I’d be free.” _

It wasn’t bad. Could use workshopping though.

“THERE’S SOMEONE IN THE WATER!”  
But, it did the trick.

Ace opened his eyes, taking in the fine wood, blue sails, and black flag.

_ Fuck. _

He had  _ not _ intended to get picked up by the most ruthless group of people in the sea. But, because the universe hated him, someone threw a lasoo overboard, and caught him by the wrist.

The haul up was uncomfortable to say the least.

When they  _ did _ finally drop him on the deck, Ace didn’t get up. He knew it was Captain Samira and her first mate/lover Madina who were staring at him. He knew he was on the  _ Coldfront _ , the most feared ship in the seas. He knew he was surrounded by members of the Hooded Sirens, among them quite a few bitter ex-vigilantes.

He also knew he was going to die.

_ Maybe I can bribe them with the fortune? Eli told me where it was. _

_ Spare me! I know the location of the Redshift fortune. It is on the island on Monte Cristo, atop Mount Ouranous, buried in the cave called the Throat of Seeing! _

_ Yeah, that’s gonna end well. _

_ Why am I still alive? _

“Stand, escapee.”

_ Double fuck. _

Ace stood, turning to face Captain Samira and First Mate Madina. 

“How did you get out?” Madina asked.

“I had a couple friends. We made a tunnel. It collapsed.”

“Awfully convinent,” Samira drawled.

Ace, before he could stop himself, snapped.

“Of course, because the only two people to be kind to me in three years, who taught me to control my freak powers and taught me how to fit in with nobility, who helped me through the aftermath of a one-on-one with  _ Ceaser _ , are the ones I stab in the back. Don’t think so.”

Someone sucked in a breath behind him.

“Those  _ are _ Sharp Zero imprints.”

Ace turned around.

_ Triple fuck. I should start a tally or something. _

The person who used to be Dispatch, worst nightmare of anyone who exploited women, was standing in front of him.

In all honesty, he’d admired her. Not for her beauty, though he could appreciate why some would, but for her courage.

The world was run by old white men exploiting everyone who wasn’t an old white man. She challenged that.

It was brave, and had he not seen the body count she left behind, he would have gone so far as to say righteous.

“Yes.”

“How did you survive?”

“I don’t know. My hair used to be brown, though, and I can create, control, and extinguish these weird green fires.”

Samira chuckled.

Ace had a bad feeling about this.

“Well, Kate, you’ve told me a lot about these odd niche powers of yours- and how you gained them. A duel, perhaps?”

Kate looked Ace dead in the eye.

_ Quadruple fuck. Maybe a drinking game? _

“Till death or mercy,” Kate intoned.

_ Actually for the Hooded Sirens that’s a screaming deal. _

“Till death or mercy,” Ace said.

This hadn’t been the first fight he’d had. It wasn’t the first duel, either. It  _ was _ the first real battle he’d fight with his powers.

_ I have to be really careful about not killing her. _

Kate lunged. Ace dodged.

The two danced around each other with normal combat for a while, before Kate made her move.

One good thing about going through a Dispatch fanboy phase: he wasn’t surprised by the powers she had. A small ball of light was thrown his way, and Ace jumped and rolled.

It became a giant ball of heat and force the second it hit the deck. If he hadn’t moved, it would have torn him apart.

Fortunately, he had, and had a counterattack to boot.

Ace lit his hand on fire, and charged. Apparently the brunette he was fighting hadn’t expected that, because he managed to graze her sleeve.

The fabric dissolved instantly, dripping in corroded streams onto the deck.

Kate looked at him in something that was torn between horror and admiration.

Ace lunged again. Kate dodged fully this time, lunging right and twisting.

_ She’s going to try and stab me in the back. _

The white-haired singer turned just in time. A knife slid into the spot his abdomen had been in moments before.

Kate threw another blast, and he was tossed across the deck. Ace struggled to his feet.

She really packed a punch.

But he did too.

Ace put one hand in front of him, and closed his eyes, like he was catching his breath to surrender. 

When he opened his eyes, they were glowing green, and a milisecond later, Kate was thrown into the starboard railing by smokeless emerald fire.

She had a bodice under her shirt, which was… a little weird, but good, because said shirt was pretty much gone.

The pirate was breathing, but she didn’t get up. A little ring of Ace’s flames had sprung around her, and the heroine was staring at him with slightly glassy eyes.

“Well, looks like it’s up to you, escapee,” Samira said.

Ace’s flames vanished.

“Mercy,” he said.

Samira raised an eyebrow, almost like she was trying to decide if he was bluffing or not, and behind her Madina sighed in releif.

Good to know he made the right choice.

Ace walked over to Kate, and stretched out his hand. Kate narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly mulling something over, before coming to a conclusion and grabbing Ace’s offered hand.

She stood, and bowed.

“ You have proven a fighter, a survivor, and a man of honor. You could have easily killed me, yet you were caeful not to, and when given the option, spared my life. For this I swear my fealty to you until the end of my days.”

Ace blinked.

_ Well.  _

_ That was unexpected. _

“I… accept your fealty? I have no clue how this works.”

“To be honest I don’t either I just kind of aimed for flowery and noble,” Kate said. The brunette stood, turning to Samira.

“Sorry. He’s probably nicer that you are.”

Samira snorted.

“Fair enough. Where to, escapee?”

_ Make a life for yourself. _

“The island of Monte Cristo- near Mount Ouranous.”


	6. He Did Have A Sense of Humor

The  _ Coldfront _ reached the island dock in record time. Kate was going around, saying her goodbyes, while Samira pulled Ace aside.

“You know she’s gonna be loyal to you, above all others, until the end of time, right?”

Ace nodded.

“Isn’t it kind of odd for her to just… swear fealty to me after one fight?”

“She’s gotten into a lot of duels. The only one that ended with someone having the chance to kill her and not taking it was the one with you. Find whatever it is your looking for here, and in three days, we’ll be back here to give you a ride to England. Deal?”

“Deal,” Ace said.

Samira watched Kate hug Madina goodbye, and Ace got the feeling that the former Dispatch would be missed.

“Good luck,” Samira said, before letting him go. He and Kate disembarked, and Ace turned back to Samira, who was standing at the gangplank.

“Happy trails,” Ace said. The faintest ghost of a smile touched the pirate’s face, before she whipped around, and in what seemed like no time at all, the  _ Coldfront _ was gone.

Ace turned back to Kate, who was staring at him bemusedly.

“Where to?”

“Mount Ouranous, the Throat of Seeing.”

“Aaaaaaand we are going to the most dangerous place on this island why?”

“Because if we do we’re gonna be two of the richest people in this stupid country, and God may have abandoned this timeline but we haven’t.”

“We kind of can’t,” Kate said wryly.

“Stop poking holes in my dramatic speeches.”

“You mean using logic?”

“Sure.”

Kate rolled her eyes, and she and Ace set out on their trek up a mountain.

 

“How the fuck are we supposed to get all this  _ down _ the damn mountain?” Kate asked.

He and Kate were currently staring at the massive pile of gold and jewels that made up the Redshift fortune, which was topped by a solid gold staue shaped into a perfect rendition of a giant hand giving everyone the finger.

“He did have a sense of humor, I’ll give him that,” Ace said.

“Okay, one, that doesn’t answer the fucking question, two, we literally just bypassed two fucking  _ direwolves _ , I want to be able to make something off of this.”

“PERHAPS WE CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE?”

Ace and Kate whipped around, to see four of the weirdest people they’d ever seen.

Honestly they were probably demons, but as the two watched, they slowly morphed into human forms.

Three men and a woman- one of the men was grey-haired, with a weathered face and the expression of someone who doesn’t give a flying fuck about anything anymore, one of them was dark-skinned with long black hair and the face of someone used to being responsible for a bunch of idiots, the woman had short black hair and olive-toned skin (and kind of looked like the nice neighboor lady who always made you cookies and listened to you complain about your problems), and the last one kind of looked like a well-muscled, bronze-skinned, taller than average caffenaited puppy.

“GREETINGS, MORTALS!” The caffenaited puppy man said.

“Kal. Tone it down.”

This was said by the long-haired man who looked kind of like a tired parent.

“Apologies, Prince Beelzebub,” Kal said.

“I’m Greg,” the grey haired man grunted.

“I’m Ace, and this is Kate. You said you might be able to help us?”

“Well we’re fuckin cursed to help whoever this fortune falls to because  _ someone _ couldn’t keep their mouth shut, so we’re basically slave labor to whoever owns this shit,” Greg said.

“Can I like… release you or something?”

“Nope.”

“Um… so are you guys like cursed to be servants, or summoned help, or what?”

“We’re cursed to be servants. If you get a mansion with that shiny expressive single digit, I’d actually be happy to take care of the gardens, cause nobody else who had this crap would let me,” Greg said. Beezlzebub and Kal were talking, and the woman was just kind of smiling in that warm nice neighbor lady way.

“Okay, I guess. I mean I was going to anyway, so if you wanna be groundskeeper you can.”

“Sweet.”

Throughout the entire exchange, Greg’s ‘I do not give a single shit about anything anymore’ dead inside expression had not changed.

The woman stepped forward, stretching out her hand.

“I’m Magda. Cooking, fortune telling, and organizing groups of idiots are my specialties.”

Ace smiled, shaking her hand. Kate was kind of catationic next to him, but at this point Ace had seen so much weird shit he doubted anything could surprise him.

“Chef and head of the house for you, then? If you want, I mean.”

Magda smiled.

“Yeah… that would be great. And… thanks. You’re the first person to ask me that.”

Kate seemingly finished processing, shook herself out of her stupor, and went into organizational whirlwind mode.

“Okay, groundskeeper and chef slash person in charge of the maids is covered, what about Kal and Belzeebub? And where are we getting the maids for this?”

Magda blinked.

“Oh, sweetheart, you won’t need to get anybody else unless you want to. We can just summon elementals to do all the cleaning and such, we’re actually quite powerful.”

“Thank god. Please do, I’d really rather not have a ton of people wandering around.”

“And feel free to like… take breaks if you need them, and use your magic as much as you need to, or not use it as much as you need to.”

Kal and Beelzebub stopped talking, turning to stare at Ace in the same touched bewilderment that shone on the other two demons’ faces.

“You… are the first person who has ever said that. To any of us. Ever.” Beelzebub said.

“I mean… you’re people. People get tired, I’m not about to make you guys work even if you’re about to collapse.”

Ace could have sworn Kal was blinking back tears.

“Thank you. Most people didn’t let us use magic and  _ still _ made us do all the work ourselves, so thank you.”

Ace and Kate smiled at them.

“Anyway,” Beelzebub said. “Since you’re the nicest person to come into possesion of this giant pile of glittery crap, we will happily help you haul it down the mountain, and will also happily work for you. Greg is dead inside, Magda is nice but her side eye is murderous, Kal says I’m an exasparated parent, and Kal himself is a hyperactive puppy born in a human body, so I’ll happily play butler and he’s a great guardsman slash nice guy who shows people around, so if you’re down for it-”

“I’m down for it,” Ace said. “You guys wanna use magic or do you wanna do it the old fashioned way?”

Beelzebub blinked.

“Oh sweet jesus we are so using magic there’s no way in hell I’m carrying all that.”

 

They made it down the mountain, and Greg cast an illusion so it wasn’t obvious that they were hauling around a literal mountain of treasure.

The  _ Coldfront  _ arrived to take them back, and Samira seemed a little surprised to see the four demons (still in human form, which they’d decided to stay in), but just kind of shrugged, told Ace he was proably going to charm half of Ellevirre into working for him, and set sail.

Ace was nervous as all hell going back.

What would Alex think?

 

Alex had regretted saying yes to Feithon every say since the wedding.

It wasn’t better. He couldn’t fill any hole Ace left behind- if anything, he only made them deeper. Alex was miserable, but he wasn’t to the point where he really did think being dead was better, since the day after he got married his adoptive parents trasferred the family fortune from Alex to Feithon.

Three weeks later, both of them had gotten killed in a carriage accident. Danny was almost done with college, and Alex hadn’t seen him since the fight they’d had before the wedding.

He’d looked so confused when Alex told him Ace was dead, it made the brunet wonder if anyone had actually told him.

The only real respite Alex had these days was the time he spent as Redshift. Feithon had found out about it, because of course he did, and knowing that he couldn’t exactly stop Ellevirre’s most famous hero from doing his job, had ‘permitted’ Alex to continue his career as Redshift.

The hero snorted.

_ Permitted. Does he honestly think he can control me? _

Alex sat down atop the gargoyle he was perched on, settling down to watch the stars.

He hadn’t had to patrol that night (the heroes of Ellvirre had this odd sort of system they worked out, passed on by word of mouth between them. It was shabby, unofficial, and barely worked, but it was what they had) but it was his only chance to go anywhere  _ without _ his helicopter husband, so he’d lied.

It hadn’t been the first time.

It wouldn’t be the last.

_ God, I miss you, Ace. Why’d you have to up and run? _

_ Why’d you have to die? _

“I guess Feithon wasn’t as much of a friend as we thought he was, hm? He just wanted to get at me- and more likely, my money. Elliot went to college with Danny- his brother tried to send him to boarding school, can you imagine?”

Alex blinked back the tears in his eyes.

This was something of a ritual. On quiet nights, when he could see the stars, he’d sit on top of the church he wished he hadn’t gotten married in, and talk to a dead singer, in the hopes that maybe he would hear him.

“I wish- I wish I’d gotten the chance to tell you I was Redshift. I’ve still got the ring, you know- I wear it on the chain you gave me when we first got together, partly becuase then it’s always near my heart, and mostly because then it’s something I have left of you that Feithon can’t take away. Elliot told me you spent a year saving up for it, trying to find the perfect one- you even aksed Danny to help you pick it out. I- I wish…”

Alex broke down, taking of the mask and curling into a ball.

Tears dripped down his face. Alex didn’t bother scrubbing them off.

“I miss you.”

He never noticed Tanis Jackson crouched on the windosill below him. He never did- not when it was her, not when it was Natia, not when it was Kim.

The three of them had decided to keep something of an eye on Alex- Kim because Alex was the first person born and raised among nobility to respect their pronouns, and Tanis and Natia because…

Well. They’d been the original Redshift’s friends. When the Vindicators were wiped off the face of the earth…

Both of them had silently vowed to keep his children alive.


	7. Tear-Filled Eyes, Such Pretty Lies

Ace and Kate had found a mansion near the heart of the city. It was big, it had a large garden and a wall, so it was as private as you got, and the four demons adored the place, so they’d gotten it.

After everything had been moved in, investments made, and invites to balls accepted, Kate restarted her second life as Dispatch, and Ace decided to join her.

Crank and Dispatch, high-society, well-known vigilantes, were asked to host the Gala of Heroes.

They agreed.

Two months before, Ace asked Kate if she could find out who framed him all those years ago. Kate returned, stone faced.

“Ceaser, in collaboration with Marcus Hong and Feithon, Angel of Dawn.”

Ace stopped dead.

_ Feithon? _

_ Feithon framed me for murder? Why? _

“What… why?”

Kate looked away.

“Elliot and Marcus were legally adopted by Ceaser. Apparently Elliot has powers now, he moved to Paris with Danny while Danny finished college.”

“Kate. Why did Feithon frame me?”

“Elliot’s going by Sharp Zero in his vigilante form.”

“Kate.”

Kate swallowed, looking at him… pityingly.

“A couple months ago… Ace… Feithon, he… I’m sorry.”

“For what!?”

“Feithon married Alex.”

Ace didn’t move. Didn’t blink. He almost wondered if he still breathed.

_ Feithon married Alex. _

_ Feithon framed me so he could get me out of the way. _

_ Feithon married Alex. _

_ Feithon… _

_ Alex married Feithon. _

_ Feithon couldn’t have gotten married to Alex without Alex saying yes first. _

_ Just like he said yes to me. _

_ What- Jesus, did he just… did he let Feithon frame me so that they could get married? Why? _

_ Or did I get thrown in prison, and then Alex just decided there wasn’t any hope for me, so he just went and married the guy who’d give him the most shiny things? _

Ace distantly noticed that his knees gave out, and the singer collapsed.

_ Alex abandoned me. _

_ Alex left me for someone with more money and nicer looks, and he did it without a second thought. _

_ Did he say yes to Feithon the day I was thrown in jail? Or did he wait a week out of respect for the fact that he accepted my offer? _

Kate was crouching next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders. Maga had come in with cookies, and Greg and Kal stood awkwardly before the door, while Beezle spoke quietly with Kate.

_ Am I crying? _

_ Yeah. _

_ I am. _

Ace clenched his fists, feeling some of that corrosive green fire spark in his eyes.

_ And I am going to destroy them for what they’ve done. _

 

Ace wrote to Danny, as Crank. He’d become rather interested in the redhead’s work in engineering, and was wondering if a meeting could be arranged?

They met. Danny told him about Elliot- and about the fact that he was apparently dead after being exposed to Sharp Zero.

Crank asked him to bring invites to the Gala to Ceaser, Elliot, Marcus, Feithon, and Alex, and then gave the redhead one for himself.

All too soon, the Gala came rolling up. It was the middle of January, so nobody bothered to ditch their cloaks, and Ace and Kate were kind of loitering in the shadows of their own ballroom, when Samira and Madina came up to them.

Samira was wearing boots, a short skirt that could probably be mistaken for an oddly-patterned kilt, and a flowy white top with a waistcoat, as well as her mask (everyone was wearing their masks, and the formal version of their costumes).

Madina was wearing a dress with a white skirt that flowed like water, a bodice done in different shades of purple fabric that were stitched together to look like flower petals, and a spun hold headscarf which covered her nose and mouth as well as her hair, that somehow transformed into an ankle-length spun gold cloak.

In the end, it kind of went like this: you saw Samira, and assumed you couldn’t sit with her because she was giving off murder vibes. You saw Madina, and knew you couldn’t sit with her because she looked like foreign royalty.

Samira started chatting with Kate, but Madina turned to Ace.

“Marcus came with Ceaser. Elliot and Danny got here a while ago, so you might wanna say hi. Alex is here with Feithon.”

Ace had seen Marcus, and Danny and Elliot, and he’d heard that Ceaser was there, but he hadn’t seen Feithon or Alex.

The singer turned to look out over the crowd. The angel wasn’t hard to find, but Alex wasn’t with him.

Then Ace’s eyes landed on Redshift, and suddenly everything made sense.

Alex was Redshift, and Ace probably never would have recognized him if it hadn’t been for the coat.

The coat he wore every time Ace visited, though he’d never worn it when they’d gone out. Now Ace knew why.

Alex was the new Redshift, and now Ace realized that he’d married Feithon becuase the angel would fund him everything he needed to succeed as a hero.

Redshift turned, and Ace found himself looking straight at the person he’d fallen head over heels for, even though said person had ditched him without a second thought.

 

Alex froze, staring at Crank, the new hero who’d hosted the ball.

Staring at Ace, who was dead.

Ace was alive.

Ace was alive, and Feithon had lied to him.

Alex knew that hair, even if it had turned white, and he knew those eyes, even if they were glowing a radioactive green.

Ace was alive.

Ace was alive!

All he had to do was get a divorce (which might be extremely difficult but he’d manage it) and find out exactly why Feithon had lied to him, as well as apologize to both Danny and Ace for being an  _ idiot _ .

Ace was alive.

Alex saw him head out onto a porch, and checking to make sure Feithon wasn’t watching, followed him.

Ace stood at the porch railing, staring out at the grounds. Alex approached him hesitantly, stopping a few steps away.

“...Ace?”

“Who?”

_ What, is he trying to be cryptic or some shit? _

“Ace, I know it’s you. How… how are you not dead?”

Ace whipped around so fast Alex was almost surprised he didn’t break his neck.

“Listen, Redshift. I don’t know who this ‘Ace’ is but I will guarantee you that I’m not him.  _ Do  _ try to stop looking for a dead fiance in every man you meet.”

Alex stepped forward.

“No. I  _ know _ it’s you, I  _ know _ you survived. How? How are you here?”

“Ace was stolen by Ellvirre prison. The mind can play tricks, you are confusing me for someone else. The man you seek is long gone.”

_ It- It’s him. _

_ It has to be him. _

_ I know those eyes, those eyes that are deeper than the sea and filled with more life than the planet. _

_ But that life is gone. _

Ace walked around him, grabbing Dispatch’s hand.

Alex quickly snagged someone from the edge of the ballroom, swirling in time to the music, never taking his eyes off the white-haired figure he’d missed so much.

Before he knew it, he was being spun around by Ace, his first partner long gone. 

_ How can you stand a whisper away, and still be as good as on the other side of the world? _

The dance ended, and Alex turned to Ace, ready to explain  _ everything _ -

“Ace there was so much damage done and-”

“You abandoned me. There are no words left to say,” Ace growled.

Alex watched as the love of his life left him alone on the dance floor, taking all of his hope with him.


	8. People Say That Heroes Live Forever

It was a while before Ace finally decided on an exact plan for his revenge. A meeting with Marcus was arranged- of course, Ace was wearing a hood, and going as Anthony, but A Story Told Inn and Tavern wasn’t complaining when he tipped so well.

“So, tell me about this Chiens De Diamant company you want me to invest in,” Marcus said. Ace smiled, all the young protoge given a test by his father, a nervous boy who had to win Marcus over for approval.

“Chiens De Diamant will become the talent agency Ellevirre deserves. Cariol takes performers and makes them good performers- we will take performers and make them the best, not only providing further education in their chosen field, but also educating them in reading and writing as well as etiquitte, so that they can interact properly with high society.”

Ace had heard about Marcus’ little vendetta against him for being a ‘scoundrel’, and knew that funding people like his brother becoming people like him would be too tempting to resist.

It was too easy to get him to put everything he had into a company Ace intended to liquify.

Ceaser was harder, but after mentioning that the science department would be happy to have his help training people (and that he would trian them by making them his assistants), the mad scientist happily threw his bank account away.

Feithon would be the hardest, and Ace had saved the best for last. Alex wanted to dump him the moment somene better came along? Fine. See how loyal he stayed when Feithon was broke.

“We want to take talented people and make them into talented stars. Educating them in the ways of proper society will enable them to thrive in their fame, rather than survive it. The nobles will adore the fact that Ellevirre now not only produces the most talented artists, but also the most poised. With your help, we may even reach the ears of the Queen.”

Feithon sat across from him, in a small but high end cafe. It took all Ace had not to strangle him.

“Hmm. Appetizing prospect, and if you’ve got Ceaser on board you must be doing something right. What’s in it for me?”

Ace grinned. Here came the fun part- lying through his teeth, and doing it so well that when Feithon discovered the truth he’d think it was a falsehood.

Just like Eli taught him.

Ace went on a monologue about the nonexistent stars in the making, the people he would help, the things they could do, the money they could make, and ended it with the best guilt trip he’d ever thought of- and that was saying something.

“I came to you before I went to any other nobles because I have heard that you have a kind soul even among angels. I need your help- if you are my introfuction to society, I stand a chance. Please.”

Feithon, in his everlasting vanity, signed the check then and there.

Ace waited forty eight days- one for every month he’d spent waiting in prison, and then rebuilding himself from nothing.

He liquified the company, and all three of their fortunes with it.

Ace came home that night, settling into his favorite armchair in what was kind of the shared community room (Kal, Beezle, Greg and Magda had liked the place, Kate had moved some bookshelves in there, Ace had gotten a desk, and now they all just sort of spent time there together), slumping over.

Marcus had been angered beyond belief. Ceaser was too, though in a more… not really grasping what it meant, way.

Feithon had stormed home, probably to tell Alex about the shit Ace had done, and then be heartbroken when Alex tried to leave him in the dust.

They deserved each other.

Kate walked in, sitting across from him, followed by Beezle. Magda was cooking, Greg was tending the gardens, and Kal was probably helping Magda.

Kate spoke first.

“It wasn’t enough, was it?”

“I don’t know. I destroyed them, that’s what they did to me, eye for an eye.”

“And it didn’t make you happy.”

“No,” Ace confessed. “It didn’t. And now I kind of have to wonder what will.”

Beezle sat in the chair closest to Ace.

“You could have killed them all, or burned their houses down, or something just as dramatic and horrible, and it wouldn’t have made you happy. Vengeance alone never does,” the demon said.

“Are you ever going to try and find Alex?” Kate asked.

Ace closed his eyes.

“He found me at the ball and asked me how I was alive.”

Kate’s jaw dropped.

“He  _ knew _ ? About the operation?”

“Apparently.”

“I’ll go tell Magda to make ice cream and get Kal to buy chocolate, we need to start the five stages of grief so you can properly mourn your relationship.”

Beezle left the room.

It was going to be a long night.

 

Feithon came home furious, and when Alex asked him what was wrong, the angel’s response was ‘shut up, you’re not good for anything but your looks.’ When Alex finally pried the story out of a servant, the brunet sat in the room that used to be his and Ace’s- now it was bare.

Feithon had burned every scrap of paper in it, excepting the most precious of their letters (Alex was good for hiding things, though the angel would never know that). Ace had dismissed him (what happened to the faith they used to have in each other?), and he didn’t even have friends outside of his identity as Redshift (when had he let Feithon isolate him like that?).

Alex clutched at the ring on his chest.

Whatever had happened to Ace, whatever had made him so… angry (it took a few hours, but Alex figured out who really owned Chiens De Diamant- he knew Ace, he  _ remembered _ Ace), he thought Alex was a part of it.

At this point, Alex was starting to wonder if he was right.

 

Alex watched his legs dangle over the edge of the gaorgoyle that had become his favorite perch.

Really, after Feithon came home that day, Alex was a little surprised the angel hadn’t shoved him off a tower himself.

_ Not like he’d miss me. _

_ And… Ace wouldn’t either. _

Alex closed his eyes, replaying that scene, those words, trying to figure out where he went wrong.

_ “You abandoned me. There are no words left to say.” _

_ I did, didn’t I? I should have kept saying no. I should have known that Feithon wasn’t going to fill the gap he left behind. _

_ And what more fitting way is there for me to go? Jumping off the tower of the church I shouldn’t have gotten married in, wearing the coat he met me in and the ring he gave me. _

_ But there’s one thing I have to do first. _

Alex had requested that they get married on the coast. That was just about the only say he had in the wedding, and so the gargoyle he sat on looked over the ocean.

The brunet took of his wedding ring. Feithon hadn’t gotten him one for their engagement.

Alex took the ornate golden band, inlaid with diamonds and worked to look like a pair of wings spreading from a heart, and threw it into the sea.

He gave a final, bitter smile when he heard it hit the water.

Alex stood, carefully removing the coat and the chain holding his ring. The coat, he folded- he’d called Deathwish, who was pretty much his only friend, and told them to come here the next morning to grab his stuff.

They’d looked worried when he left. Their worry wasn’t necessary, of course, but not for the reason they thought.

Alex slipped the ring off the golden chain that had been Ace’s first gift to him. The chain, he put in a small box he’d brought with him, which had Ace’s name on the lid.

The ring, he put on the ring finger of his left hand. If he was going to die, he was going to do it remembering exactly who he should have been with all along.

Alexander Becket looked around. He didn’t see Deathwish lurking on the windowsill below him, or Captain Stardust and Galaxy at the bottom of the tower (they’d been part of the original Vindicators, and Alex had spoken with them a few times).

Alex took a running jump of the tower of the place he’d let himself die in, one day almost a year ago.

They hadn’t been expecting it, and so when Deathwish shouted the signal, Captain Stardust barely caught him- not before she saw his head catch the edge of Deathwish’s windowsill.

The local hospital was surprised to see them come in with the unconcious Alexander Becket. When a nurse asked about the odd switch in rings, Deathwish told her to leave the gold and ruby one on his finger.

“But where’s his wedding ring? I hear Feithon commissioned them himself so they’d be just for them.”

“None of your buisness,” Galaxy said.

Stardust was hiding Alex’s things in his usual stashing spot, when she found the box.

She and Galaxy had kept more of an eye on him than they’d admit. He was the first child of their long gone best friend, and so they’d both heard what he said to the stars when he thought nobody would hear him.

The Native American landed in front of the manor that had to be Ace’s (she’d gotten an anonymous letter, telling her of the fates of Eli and Isaiah, and who the Redshift fortune went to), since it was the only one that was well taken care of despite her only having seen four servants there.

A long haired black man opened the door for her.

“Ah- Captain Stardust-”

“Where is Ace?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Ace. Crank. Either or, they’re the same person. I have news about Redshift- the second one.”

The man glared, opening his mouth likely to tell her off, when Ace himself came up to the door.

“Stardust. It’s an honor.”

“Alex left this for you,” she shoved the box in his direction. Ace opened it, seeing the chain, and turned to her.

“What, is he trying to rub it in that he ran off with a pretty angel who also happened to be a whole lot richer than I was? Or is it some odd reference to the fact that he knew about my little Sharp Zero operation?”

Stardust froze. She counted to ten in three languages.

“What exactly is that supposed to mean? He was heartbroken when Feithon told him you were dead.”

Ace almost dropped the box.

“Come inside.”

 

Kate raised an eyebrow at the unexpected guest when Ace brought her in.

“Cap-”

“Tanis.”

“Tanis… has some interesting news about my least favorite angel.”

“He told Alex you were dead. Uprising near the prison, you bolted and got shot through the heart.”

Magda poked her head through the door.

“I  _ know _ he had no clue about the operation. He married Feithon in the hopes that that stupid angel would fill the gap you used to fit in- did you know he had to wear a wedding dress?”

Kal joined her, and the two silently came to sit on a couch, while Tanis paced.

“He hates his life, which didn’t get better when  _ you _ came back and shoved him away. I watched him throw his wedding ring off the tower of the coast church he got married on. I listened to him talk to you for almost a year.”

Beezle saw Magda and Kal, and walked off, presumably to get Greg.

“I watched him put your engagement ring on that chain, and I aksed him once if he ever took it off. He said no, you know why? Because it was the one piece of you he had that Feithon couldn’t steal. The room, your letters- the angel burned it all, and he had the nerve to tell Alex that it was good for him.”

By now, the four demons had caught each other up on what had happened. Kate sat shell shocked, and Ace stood next to the arm of the couch she was sitting on the other end of.

“I caught him, half an hour ago, when he tried to jump off the spire of the church he never stopped wishing he hadn’t gotten married in. Worst of all? I watched him throw Feithon’s ring into the sea, and put yours on the ring finger of his left hand, before he took a flying leap, leaving that box for you and his coat for Danny.”

Ace’s knees gave out, and he fell onto the couch.

Alex had tried suicide.

Alex had tried suicide because of  _ him _ .

“Will he live?”

Tanis whirled.

“What?”

“Will he live? I thought he knew I was alive. I thought when he asked me about it he was talking about the operation. I… am an idiot.”

Ace stood.

“I’m a raging idiot who thought that revenge would make me happy when it was only ever gonna be him, and thought that the love of my life had ditched me. Tell me which hospital.”

“What?” Tanis said, this time dumbfounded rather than angry.

“Tell me which hospital he’s in, I just excecuted my revenge by making Feithon go bankrupt and I’m not letting the fucking angel pay his medical bills anyway.”

“One condition.”

“Anything.”

“If you love him so much, duel Feithon for Alex’s hand. It’s the only way that marriage will ever be broken.”

“Done.”

Tanis didn’t tell him which hospital- she told him to grab his mask, and gave him a ride there.

After all, she was the only person in the city who was a faster flier than Feithon was.


	9. But You And I, We Both Know Better

Ace paid the bill for Alex’s stay. 

_ He waited all those years for me to come back. _

He kept paying it, even after he told Tanis, Natia and Kim everything. Even when it had been a week, and Alex hadn’t shown any signs of waking up.

_ And when I did, I left him behind. _

Ace came in daily, staying as long as he could, always vanishing when Feithon appeared (which was a depressingly rare event).

_ How much of this could I have stopped if I’d just bother to listen? To have some faith, if not in Feithon’s ability to be an asshole, then in Alex’s ability to be the nicest person alive? Alex, who I spent two years in prison believing in? _

_ Why did I ever stop? _

Alex didn’t wake up, and Ace was reminded of his days in prison, only this time, he was on the outside.

_ He jumped because of me how could I have been so  _ stupid _ - _

Somehow, Marcus figured him out, despite him never going anywhere without the mask. Elliot and Danny had just come home, and as Ace was leaving the hospital, Marcus caught up to him.

“It’s been a while, scoundrel.”

“Three and half years, Marcus, do use that ‘sophisticated’ brain of yours,” Ace responded. “Have you come to blackmail me?”

“I’ve come to kill you.”

Ace turned. Marcus stood, sword in hand. Ace had his own strapped to his back, courtesy of finding out that duels were common.

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Feithon isn’t happy about you trying to worm your way back into Alex’s life- although, he doesn’t know it’s you.”

Ace was considering just walking away.

“I should hope not. Might be a little awkward- hey, you framed me for murder but I’m not dead so give me back my fiance.”

Marcus glowered.

“He is not your fiance. He is Feithon’s husband.”

“I thought that when you were someone’s husband, the other person loved you?”

“The angel loves and cares for Alex far more than you ever could. He got their wedding rings custom made, so it would be  _ their _ special-”

“And did he let Alex have any say in the making of said rings?” Ace asked.

“Alex is an idiot, Feithon knows whats best for him when he doesn’t.”

“I think we both know Alex isn’t stupid. And I think we both know that the only thing Feithon did for Alex was make him miserable.”

Marcus had the gall to roll his eyes.

“Ace. Stop pretending. Alex is just lucky someone of a rank like Feithon’s was willing to marry a whore like him.”

Ace drew his sword, and charged. 

Marcus barely made the sidestep in time, trying to land a hit on Ace, but the singer pivoted, letting his blade whistle through the air. Marcus stepped back- but not quite far enough.

Ace wished he could say there was no vicious satisfaction, watching a large, shallow cut run across the other man’s chest, and he wished he could say he didn’t smile when he saw the white fabric turning red.

Marcus lunged. Ace dodged.

Really, it was pitiful, how easy it was to remain without a scratch.

“I locked you up so my friends and my brother would be happy.”

“You locked me up because you were obsessed with controlling Elliot, and because Feithon said some pretty words.”

“Alex was happier without you.”

“Is that why he spent almost every night crying?”

“He’s lucky! Lucky that Feithon was kind enough to take in that delusional wreck of a person!”

“Alex tried to kill himself to leave Feithon behind!”

“ALEX IS A DELUSIONAL BITCH WHO THINKS SHE’S A MAN!”

Ace froze.

Marcus stood, panting, three feet away.

“And she’s lucky that anyone would want her for a wife,” he concluded. Marcus was smirking- like he thought he’d won the argument, like he thought he was right.

Ace took one step forward, very, very slowly.

The crowd that had gathered started backing away from him- from the radioactive glow in his eyes.

Marcus’ smile faltered, right before Ace lit him up with emerald green flames.

It was…

It was horrible. Beezle was right. Killing Marcus may have removed a scumbag from Ellevirre, but…

But watching his clothes smoke, watching his flesh turn to liquid before Ace’s eyes, watching him literally melt, screaming the whole way, that was… awful.

When it was over, Ace was left staring at a black puddle.

The crowd ran away.

“You-”

_ Oh no. _

Ace turned, coming face to face with Elliot, who was currently being restrained by Danny.

“You killed my brother.  _ You killed my fucking brother. _ ”

Ace took a step back.

“I- I didn’t- he-”

Elliot shifted into the demon form Ace had heard so much about, running right for him, one clawed hand aimed at his heart.

Ace dodged, left with four cuts along his bicep.

The demon turned, all red eyes and bared teeth and  _ rage _ .

One of Elliot’s hands curled into a fist, and before Ace could doge, before he could react, that fist slammed into his mask, cracking it in half.

The two pieces hit the ground with a dull, metallic  _ thunk _ .

Elliot stopped dead, before his face split into a small, tearful grin.

“Ace?” he breathed.

“Yep…” Ace said.

“How- why- why did you kill Marcus?”

“It’s… a long, long story.”

Elliot glared at him.

“Well, Danny wanted to visit Alex. We’ve got time.”

The three of them filed into Alex’s room (the best one money could buy) and Ace told them everything.

Danny blinked at him a few times when he finished.

“Well. That explains… so much.”

Elliot was catationic.

Danny nudged him.

“I… I really don’t know what to say. I mean… my older brother framed my best friend for murder. And then let Ceaser overdose me on the crap that gave you your powers, and… jesus.”

“That’s kind of what I thought,” Ace said.

“Well… Elliot, you know how we were planning on getting out of Ellvirre? Now’s probably a good time, because you turned into a demon in public and broad daylight, and your brother is a puddle on the street outside.”

Elliot nodded.

“You guys want any help?” Ace asked.

“Nah,” Elliot said. “We’ve been saving up, we should have enough.”

“Aight.”

Later that night, Danny and Elliot left the hospital room. Elliot turned to Ace on his way out.

“You might want to leave to, especially with all the shit that just went down.”

Ace nodded.

Elliot left.

 

Three days later, Ace and Kate got Ceaser arrested for murder. 

Three weeks later, Kate was out running errands with Kal (she’d wanted to improve upon her super suit), Beezle was on break, and so had elected to get Greg to help him pick flowers for Kal, and Magda was cooking.

Which meant that Ace was basically alone in the house, when someone knocked on the door.

Ace almost fell over when he saw Alex standing outside, a leather bag slung over one shoulder, held in place by his left hand- upon which the golden band with a single ruby sat, glittering in the sunlight.

“Alex… oh my god, I-”

“Tanis told me everything,” the brunet said. “Yes, you were an idiot, but I forgive you.”

“Wha- why?”

“Because I’d rather move away with you than Feithon?”

“Oh. Yeah. Shit. Come in, Magda’s making cookies.”

Alex walked inside, and Ace found a spot for him to set his bag down in the communal sitting room.

“So you’re the one who got father’s fortune, huh?” Alex said.

Ace stared in confusion, and Alex smiled sadly.

“The Redshift fortune. Father was Redshift- he left it for Eli, his favorite intern and his favorite boss. Tanis told me about the letter you sent. It’s… a pity. I only met Eli once, but I liked him.”

Ace blinked.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For your life kind of sucking.”

Alex grinned.

“Well. Now that the absolutely  _ horrid _ fuck-up of a miscommunication is cleared up, I think it’ll get a lot better.”

Ace burst out laughing. Alex gave him a confused look.

“You- you swore.”

The second Redshift blinked, his face splitting into the widest smile. To think, that the time before last that he’d seen Ace, had been the day Ace proposed.

_ Heh. Especially considering the conversation we had that day. _

“Just because I love you,” Alex said. Ace smiled. 

“I love you too.”

Eventually, Alex wound up curcled into Ace’s side on the loveseat (Ace had piled a couple cushions up to make a seat for himself so that Alex could do just that- the same way he had when his hair was dyed green, and was brown underneath.

“Hmmm… maybe New York City?”

“I dunno, I’m kind of fond of Paris,” Alex said.

“But Danny finished college.”

“And he said the place was amazing.”

“Well, let’s wait until Kate gets back so we can have this discussion with everyone.”

“I thought the whole point of this discussion was to narrow it down so we had some ideas when we  _ did _ have this discussion with everyone?” Alex said, arching an eyebrow.

“Stop being logical,” Ace said.

“Stop being illogical.”

“I hate you.”

“I hate you too,” Alex said, in the mushiest tone he could manage without laughing.

They both kept straight faces for all of two seconds.

Somehow, they stopped laughing long enough to get a messenger to deliver a note to Kate about Alex and Ace  _ finally _ getting the chance to make up.

Yeah, they both had issues. Lots of them. But as the two stared into each other’s eyes, they got the feeling it would be alright.

The moment was of course ruined, by Feithon breaking down the door, flaming sword drawn, looking awfully mad about something.


	10. Something's Fucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for making it this far through my trash.

Ace and Alex stood, the brunet’s expression turning into a nasty snarl, and the white haired singer’s becoming a glare.

If looks could kill.

Feithon panted, baring his teeth at Ace.

“Get away from him.”

“Not sure which one of us you’re talking to, but no,” Alex said.

Ace remembered his promise to Tanis.

“I challenge you to a duel for the hand in marriage of Alexander Becket.”

The words left his mouth before he could stop himself.

Feithon drew himself up to full height.

“You DARE-”

“My fiance wants to kill your sorry ass, I’m not about to stop him.”

“Actually I promised Tanis.”

“Really?” Alex said.

“Yeah, I’m glad I did because one, she wouldn’t have told me which hospital you were at otherwise, and two, I probably would have done something much more idiotic and much more dangerous than challenge an angel to a fight to the death.”

“...well, so much for hoping your surivial instincts had developed.”

Ace turned to Feithon.

“Let’s take this outside.”

 

They stepped into the sandy ring off of the garden, and Alex stood to one side- behind Feithon, so he could see Ace.

The white haired man lost himself in the adrenaline, in the blade’s singing and clashing and sliding against each other. Alex was smiling-

Alex looked like he had hope.

He was gorgeous.

_ Ba-dump. _

Ace lunged. Feithon sidestepped, and tried to stab him in the back- the singer leapt backwards just in time, though it still left a small cut on his side.

_ Huh. First time he’s drawn blood, and we’ve been at this for like five minutes. _

Feithon, to Ace’s glee, looked a lot worse for wear. His tunic was torn, his feathers were ruffled, and sweat was dripping down his torso.

It actually looked like Ace would win. Alex had the biggest grin on his face, and Ace couldn’t help but match it.

Ace stepped forward to go for a stab, when his knees buckled.

His vision swam, and he saw Feithon grin.

Elliot and Danny- what the hell were they doing there? They’d come running up to Alex, trailing Kate, Greg, Magda, Kal, and Beezle behind them.

“Somethings fucky,” Elliot said when his eyes landed on Ace.

_ The angels sword. _

_ The angel fucking poisoned his damn sword. _

Feithon took a step towards Ace. Alex shouted from outside the ring of sand they fought on, and the angel raised his sword.

_ Ba-dump. _

Ace looked behind him.

_ Ba-dump. _

Looked at Magda, beyond horrified.

_ Ba-dump. _

Looked at Elliot, shocked to the core.

_ Ba-dump. _

Looked at Danny, one hand on his mouth, tears in his eyes.

_ Ba-dump. _

Looked at Kate, dismayed, shocked, almost stepping towards him before she remembered that that meant a forefit.

_ Ba-dump. _

Looked at Kal, endless sadness on his face.

_ Ba-dump. _

Looked at Greg- for once, his face showed emotion, and the demon was almost… almost crying, it seemed.

_ Ba-dump. _

Looked at Beezle, grief-stricken with the knowledge that Ace was going to die.

_ Ba-dump. _

But Fethion hadn’t brought his sword down yet.

_ Ba-dump. _

Ace looked at Alex- looked at the love of his life, who looked terrified, just as terrified as Ace felt-  _ I just got you back, I just got you back, please, plese, I can’t lose you again I won’t  _ survive _ losing you again- _

Who looked terrified of being locked in a life with Feithon, when he might have had one with Ace.

_ The first letter Alex ever wrote him, in perfect, crisp cursive, and Ace didn’t write back. When Alex asked him why, Ace confessed to being nervous- Alex’s handwriting was perfect. Ace’s was crap. _

_ “I was taught by the man who used to copy books for the royal family. You had to learn in a monestary. It doesn’t matter how nice it looks, because it’ll be yours.” _

_ Ba-dump. _

_ Ace getting the golden chain as a tip from a wealthy woman who’d liked his voice, and the singer giving it to Alex the very next day, because finally,  _ finally _ , he had something worth giving. _

_ Ba-dump. _

_ The two staying up until midnight, making a list of all the current heroes of Ellvirre, because they had to pretend to work on something so Alex’s adopted parents couldn’t complain. _

_ Ba-dump. _

_ Ace saving all his money for almost a year, asking Danny what Alex’s favorite stone was, walking into the jewlers and buying the ring the second he saw it- the man behind the counter looked surprised (“We have some cheaper ones in the back, this must be your life savings.” “I’d only buy a ring worth my life savings for someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.”). Elliot brining him the jacket (it was a present from Danny), and Ace planning it out, getting the blessings of both Alex’s adoptive parents and his brother, as well as Elliot’s blessing, spending an hour doing that just so he was sure the only answer that would matter would be Alex’s. _

_ Tears in his eyes when Alex said yes. _

_ Ba-dump. _

_ And Feithon wants to take it all away. _

_ Ba-dump. _

The angel had his sword perfectly poised to drive it’s way straight through Ace’s chest, and he was grinning like the crazed idiot he was, when Ace lunged upwards, shoving his sword almost vertically through Feithon’s torso.

Whatever the poison was, it was being burned off (Ace could feel the fire in his veins, as well as see his blood vessels glowing green).

More importantly, Feithon was dead, and he and Alex could  _ finally _ get married.

Alex ran forward, yanking Ace into a hug so tight he could barely breathe.

“Don’t ever do that again,” the brunet whispered.

“I won’t,” Ace said.

Eventually, they agreed to move to Monte Cristo. Mount Ouranous land was worth next to nothing, but it was stable and could be built on.

A manor was constructed, and Kate wrote to Samira. When the  _ Coldfront _ arrived, Elliot started shouting, and when Madina vaulted the starboard railing to give her childhood friend a hug, they figured out why.

Ace and Alex had decided to restart the Vindicators. In the end, they got Kim, Tanis, Natia, Tanis’ friend Zipper, Alex, Ace, Kate, Elliot, Danny, and Samira as members.

When they finished the manor, the pirates left, though they kept in contact, since now they were superheroes. Tanis and Natia got a house somewhere else on the island, and nonbody was quite sure where Kim the murder cat lived, but they seemed fine, so nobody worried too much. Zipper moved into the guest house on Tanis’ and Natia’s property, and Ace, Alex, Kate, Elliot, Danny, Kal, Beezle, Magda, and Greg moved into the Mission Manor itself.

About a year passed- the Vindicators became a global organization, and eventually Tanis and Natia took over the England branch.

Alex and Ace got their wedding. Danny and Elliot were Alex’s and Ace’s best man respectively, with Kate and Madina making the rest of Ace’s wedding party, and Kim and Samira making Alex’s. Zipper was the flower alien. Magda and Greg sat for Alex’s family, and Beezle and Kal sat for Ace’s. Tanis officiated, and Natia was ringbearer.

Everyone simply opted to wear what they’d worn to the Gala the year Ace and Kate hosted it, and when Alex came late wearing the formal version of Redshift’s suit, the church didn’t say a word.

Ace and Alex designed the wedding rings together- Ace’s was a silver band, with two emeralds and a piece of obsidian set on it. Alex’s was gold, with a piece of obsidian and two rubies.

And if the newspapers eventually caught on to the matching wedding bands Crank and Redshift wore, they didn’t say a word.

~Fin!


End file.
